UAE, Guyana launch initiative to train youth for future solutions

DUBAI / GEORGE TOWN / WAM

Under the patronage and presence of Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, the governments of the UAE and Guyana launched the Guyana Coders Initiative (GCI).
This forthcoming initiative was conceived as part of government knowledge exchange collaboration between the two countries and marks a first in Latin American.
This initiative is heavily inspired by the “One Million Arab Coders” initiative that was launched in 2017 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, aiming to build youth capabilities in programming and enhance their knowledge in mastering the language of the future.
The launch was attended by Guyanese government officials, including Deodat Indar, Minister of Public Works, and Priya Manikchand, Minister of Education.
The UAE government was represented by Abdulla Nasser Lootah, Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Experience Exchange and Director-General of the Cabinet’s Presidency Office at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, as well as UAE ambassador to Brazil and non-resident ambassador to Guyana Saleh Ahmad Alsuwaidi, along with a number of Guyanese students and other country officials.
Guyana’s President Dr Irfaan Ali stated that Guyana is working on implementing one of the major disruptive projects in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector, through launching the Guyana Coders Initiative as one of the largest digital transformational projects in the region in collaboration with the UAE government, aiming to provide youth with the fundamental basics of coding, and incubates the talent that will speardhead the
development of the community.
He further added, “As the world is becoming more computer-based, Guyana needs to adjust itself to digital transformation and advanced technology. It is time to understand these transformations and invest in the Guyanese human capital. Once young people manage to efficiently participate in promoting the economy and attracting global investments, Guyana will become one of the most important data hubs in the world.”
For his part, Lootah affirmed the UAE government has a vital goal in seeking qualitative partnerships that support efficient future governments. “The UAE government endeavours to implement an ambitious economic vision through sharing its expertise with other nations. In so doing, it ensures effective performance and reliable readiness for future challenges.”
He noted that cooperating with Latin American countries is key to achieving the goals of the Government Experience Exchange Programme. “Thanks to the pioneering experience of the UAE, aspiring governments can benefit in enhancing government services and competencies in designing the future.”
The Guyana Coders Initiative targets youth and talents to train and develop digital literacy and promote the country’s global position, which was inspired by the “One Million Arab Coders” initiative that was launched in 2017 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ensuring youth’s readiness for the future and prepares the next generation of technology experts, targeting 1.2 million regional and international participants.
The Guyana Coders Initiative aims to train hundreds of thousands of Guyanese as coders online and provide a solid digital platform to build their capacities and empower their participation in the development of knowledge economy over the next three years. The initiative targets the foundational skills in the areas of coding, data science and application development. It also offers internationally accredited training programmes carried by certified professionals.
The Guyana Coders Initiative is part of the bilateral cooperation between the UAE and Guyanese governments, which has achieved several goals in 9 fields: government accelerators, government performance, government innovation, competitiveness and statistics, leadership and capacity building, coding (the One Million Arab Coders Initiative), future foresight, and smart services (Smart App Awards). The programme also organises regular workshops and training programmes to for the Guyanese governmental staff.
In March 2022, the UAE and Guyanese leaderships launched the cooperation in the Government Experience Exchange Programme as part of the World Government Summit to empower the exchange of knowledge, expertise, and successful experiences.